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Crimea Recognition Key To Ending Ukraine War: Putin Tells Macron

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told French President Emmanuel Macron that demilitarisation of Ukraine, and Western recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea are keys to ending the fighting, AFP reported quoting Kremlin. “Vladimir Putin stressed that a settlement is possible only if Russia’s legitimate security interests are unconditionally taken into account,” a Kremlin readout of […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told French President Emmanuel Macron that demilitarisation of Ukraine, and Western recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea are keys to ending the fighting, AFP reported quoting Kremlin.

“Vladimir Putin stressed that a settlement is possible only if Russia’s legitimate security interests are unconditionally taken into account,” a Kremlin readout of the call said on Monday. These interests include “the recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea,” in addition to “the demilitarization and denazification of the Ukrainian state and ensuring its neutral status,” the Kremlin continued. “The Russian side is open to negotiations with representatives of Ukraine and hopes that they will lead to the expected results,” the country’s presidential office added. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 in a move largely denounced as unlawful by the West, first invading the region with unmarked troops which Moscow denied were linked to its military. As per Sputnik, Ukraine solution is possible only if Russia’s security interests are considered, Putin has told Macron.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu informed President Vladimir Putin on Monday that the country’s nuclear deterrence forces have begun combat duty with reinforced staff, reported Xinhua. Shoigu informed Putin that “the duty shifts of control units of the strategic rocket forces, the Northern and Pacific fleets, and the long-range aviation command have started to carry out the combat duty with increased capacity,” Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency cited the ministry as reporting. Putin ordered the country’s deterrence forces to be placed on “a special mode of combat duty” in a Sunday meeting with top defence officials.

President Putin on Monday signed a decree on special economic measures against the US and its allies. Putin signed a decree “On the application of special economic measures against the United States and countries that have joined them,” Sputnik reported citing Kremlin press service. Exporters must sell 80 per cent of foreign exchange earnings credited from 1 January 2022 and deposit them to their accounts in authorised banks within three working days, the Kremlin press service said, citing the decree.

Russia banned flights for airlines from 36 countries in a retaliatory move against EU airspace ban. As a response to the ban of European states on Russian air carriers, restriction has been introduced on the operation of flights by air carriers from 36 countries, according to aviation authorities. These restrictions will affect airlines from Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, Canada and Portugal, among others.

Further, as per regional governor of Kharkiv, Russian shelling has killed at least 11 civilians in the city. “The Russian enemy is bombing residential areas,” Oleg Sinegubov, wrote on the Telegram messaging app, saying that, “As a result of the bombardments that are ongoing, we cannot call on the emergency services… currently there are 11 dead and dozens wounded”.

Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine ended their peace talks on Monday and their representatives will return to their respective capitals for further consultations before the second round of talks, reported RIA. Earlier, a report from Gomel, Belarus, said negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine to resolve the ongoing conflict between the two countries began in the Gomel region of Belarus here on Monday. High-level delegations from both sides arrived at the venue on the banks of the Pripyat River to attempt a negotiated settlement in the ongoing crisis. According to the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian delegation included the Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, the head of the parliament faction of the Servant of the People party, and a deputy foreign minister. The Russian delegation was led by former Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky. “Immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from Ukraine will be the key issues at the talks,” the office of the Ukrainian president said.

“Since [there are] dead Ukrainian citizens, dead Ukrainian soldiers every hour of the conflict, we are certainly interested in reaching some agreements as quickly as possible. These agreements must be, of course, in the interests of both parties,” Medinsky said before the beginning of the meeting.

The next 24 hours will be crucial for Ukraine’s fight with Russia, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday during a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the National News Agency of Ukraine (Ukrinform) reported. Johnson said he would do all he could to help ensure defensive aid from Britain and other allies reached Ukraine. Meanwhile, according to the regional government, the city Berdyansk in southern Ukraine had been seized by Russian troops Monday morning. The Ukrainian army said on Monday that the situation in Kyiv was still under its control.

Also on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed an application for membership of his country in the European Union, said the Ukrainian Parliament. Taking to Twitter, the official account of the Parliament of Ukraine stated: “President @ZelenskyyUa has signed application for the membership of #Ukraine in the European Union.” “Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing,” Zelensky said during a video address.

Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell today said that Brussels is determined to send additional weapons supplies to Ukraine.

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